$ mkdir /tmp/some_dir $ touch /tmp/some_dir/file $ a=/tmp $ cat $a/some<TAB> /tmp/some<TAB>
Note how the former TAB just gives $a/some_dir<SPACE> BUG! Which SPACE one must replace with a / by hand to continue expanding like the latter. Whilst the latter gives /tmp/some_dir/ correctly. bash: Installed: 4.2-5 Indeed, $ aaaaaaa=/tmp $ $aaa<TAB> also gives the bad behavior. It's as if it never occurred to the authors these might be directories.
